Preliminary phytochemical screening of spinach {Spinacia oleracea) leaf extract using different solvents of extraction: exploring potential insect repellent properties, [author]: Flores, Michaela Angela R., Gaiser, Sarah Jessicca, Gutierrez, Princess Zeah Loudine M. Valdez, Louisse Deborah P.

Includes Appendix

ABSTRACT:
Recent findings have demonstrated that spinach (Spinacia oleraceci) harbors insecticidal properties against common fruit flies (Rima, M. et al., 2020). As a result of this intriguing result, a recommendation was made to undertake further investigations into the plant's extracts. Thus, the potential of constituents found in spinach leaves as an effective insect repellent was explored in a continuous search for an alternative ingredient. The Spinacia oleracea leaves are subjected to maceration extraction using 80% methanol and 95% ethanol after being air-dried and ovendried. The ethanolic extract was subjected to fractionation and gained three fractions: ethanolic, DCM, and ethyl acetate. Subsequently, the extracted sample and fractionates underwent qualitative screening for phytochemical constituents. In comparison, carbohydrates, tannins, saponins, and alkaloids are confirmed to be present in methanol extract, ethanolic, and ethyl acetate fractions. Meanwhile, cardiac glycosides and flavonoids are absent in all reagents. The study identified the presence of carbohydrates, tannins, saponins, and alkaloids in the methanol
extract and ethanolic and ethyl acetate fractions. At the same time, cardiac glycosides and flavonoids were absent in all tested samples. These findings contribute to understanding the phytochemical composition of spinach leaf extracts and lay the groundwork for future research aiming to develop novel repellent compounds or explore other potential applications of spinach extracts.

School of Pharmacy